, 1887-11-24

whom shame or idleness madn remiss wero ne
freely admitted as they who had made little
pitiful attempts at decancy. The talk was
mild and characteristic, chiefly occupied wi:h
the past or tho future as it might have be.1.
On the hosts right hand sat n man in rusty
black, with nervous hands that clutched at
things and trembled as they held glass or
fork or napkin. He hnd never been a Grim
inal. never willingly harmed any one, never
entertained a deliberately unLind thought,
and yot to all intents and purposes he was a
murderer and q suicide. His spirit wGs dead,
or in its last asonies, and of this he YVES
dtnly conscious in a despairing sort of way.
On the hosts left, the other place of honor
and what a significant distinction to oc-
cupy those prominent seats-sat the jaunticst
individual Of the whole party. At first sight
it would have been difficult to say why he
had his share at this banquet of the ruined,
disappointed, bereaved and afflicted. 1t was
not his look nor his dress tina told the secret,
but his words. He was bett err dressed than any
of his follows, and a self satisfied expression
was upou his fnco. But you soon saw a blank
in tho midst Of that self satisfaction-the lack
Of something, which mysterious something
would have just put him beyond the pale Of
our friend's circle. He talked louder than the
A'oA sAAAa AA@AA IA AiA0 III L VI
bility in the present and humiliation here
after-no God to restrain us now, and none
to judge us later; but the lack of that some
thing made his face grow ugly and hard Us
he expounded his theories, and his own ap-
pearance was but a poor argument in favor
of his theories.
A curious rivalry between many OF the
guests attracted my attention. Each thought
his own misfortune the heaviest, and was
jealous of the consideration which another
won. Some even flung it into the faces of
certain others that when they were enjoying
prosperity they had been appealed to in vain.
Any cant about equality in spite of loss of
money was promptly resented by those who
had been in the attitude of solicitors. This
feast was no good place at which to air fine
talk not supported by fine character. The
restrictions which obtain in society less
honest of speech, though more polished, were
laid aside and each one spoke his mind. All
told their worldly circumstance quite
plninly.
One said that he lived with his wife, three
children and mother-in-law in two rooms in
an unwholesome tenement house, and earned
s. a week in a slop shop selling rotten cloth
ing to greenhorns.
Another said; 81 started in life with the
notion of being a great author. am over
40 now, and glad to get Sc a week in a book
store. l have covered reams of paper and
made about 81 900 altogether in little sums,
but no one knows my nam9. l carried a
novel and an epic from one publishing house
to another for ten years, and mover could
get any editor even TO read them. l am try
ing to save a little money now to get the
poem published after my death, with a little
autobiography which mny teach the world
what it has lost, and make people sorry that
thnu LOT p,,nI n V,1n a., - r,snaroII. l.o.N.
after SO disappointing a life"
They say some people have forced them
selves on the public by the manner of their
death" said a wild, melancholy looking man
by tho authors side, and 1 think it would be
worth while to try such a scene to make my
Romeo and Juliet SELL
"You talk of death like a child said g
croaking voice across tho table. "Here am l,
an old woman, once Minnie st. Angel, the
famous actress, but none the less II starving,
broken down drudge now. Never despair
while you are young; it is only the old who
know what trouble is. To have been some
one and then fall to being NOBODY, that l.
the hardest thing of all, much harder than to
have been unknown all your life"
"NNell, 1 think it is harder for those who
never had n brief hour of success at oil - said
q hin woman. 81 wns the daughter of q
theatre hack, and was on the stage from a
child But as l grew up plain and not clever
l was used in all the common parts and never
knew what it was to AVE an individuality.
l have never had a home, and since my father
died nave never even had a friend. Now !
am wardrobe woman in q low theatre, and
glad-yes, thankful-to have the place, too
at is hard to work for no pay said q
rough voice opposite. 81 was a soldier of
Napoleon's as a lad, fought in Algeria and in
Russia; and because l toe part in some plot
they called it revolutionary-Ilo lost my little
pension, and starved in consequence. ran
AWAY, and once hero coul find nothing tc
do, and I am trying to beg money enough to
buy a hand organ and camp stool"